The Stooges

Not to be confused with Stooges Brass Band or The Three Stooges.
For The Stooges' self-titled debut album, see The Stooges (album).
The Stooges
The Stooges at the Hammersmith Apollo (2010) L-R: Iggy Pop, Mike Watt, Scott Asheton, James Williamson
The Stooges at the Hammersmith Apollo (2010)
L-R: Iggy Pop, Mike Watt, Scott Asheton, James Williamson
Background information
Also known asIggy and the Stooges, Iggy Pop and the Stooges, the Psychedelic Stooges
OriginAnn Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
Genres
Years active
  • 1967–1971
  • 1972–1974
  • 2003–2016[4]
Labels
Past members
Websiteiggyandthestoogesmusic.com

The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, and also known as Iggy and the Stooges, were an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave Alexander. Initially playing a raw, primitive style of rock and roll, the band sold few records in their original incarnation and gained a reputation for their confrontational performances, which often involved acts of self-mutilation by Iggy Pop.[5]

After releasing two albums – The Stooges (1969) and Fun House (1970) – the group disbanded briefly, and reformed with an altered lineup (with Ron Asheton replacing Dave Alexander on bass and James Williamson taking up guitar) to release a third album, Raw Power (1973), before breaking up again in 1974. The band reunited in 2003 with Ron Asheton moving back to guitar and Mike Watt on bass, and the addition of saxophonist Steve Mackay, who had played saxophone on Fun House. Ron Asheton died in 2009 and was replaced by James Williamson, and the band continued to play shows until 2013, when they also released their last album, Ready to Die. The Stooges formally announced their breakup in 2016 due to the deaths of Scott Asheton and saxophonist Steve Mackay.

The Stooges are widely regarded as a seminal proto-punk act.[5][6][7] The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.[8] In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked them 78th on their list of the 100 greatest artists of all time. In 2007, they were awarded the Mojo Lifetime Achievement Award at the Mojo Awards.[9]

  1. ^ N. E. Tawa, Supremely American: Popular Song in the 20th Century: Styles and Singers and what They Said about America (Scarecrow Press, 2005), p. 179.
  2. ^ G. Thompson, American Culture in the 1980s (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2007), ISBN 0-7486-1910-0, p. 134.
  3. ^ Fekadu, Meskin (March 18, 2014). "Scott Asheton, drummer for pioneering punk band the Stooges, dies at 64". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  4. ^ Lach, Stef (June 20, 2016). "The Stooges 'is over' says guitarist James Williamson". Classic Rock. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
  5. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Stooges biography". AllMusic. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  6. ^ Galluci, Michael (7 July 2015). "The Story of the Stooges' Pre-Punk Milestone 'Fun House'". Ultimate Guitar. Retrieved 2017-03-01.
  7. ^ "Anacronistic: The Stooges (Punk Rock)". Still in Rock (Brooklyn, NY) (in French). 1 December 2014. Retrieved 2015-03-31.
  8. ^ "ABBA, Jimmy Cliff, Genesis, the Hollies and the Stooges are headed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". cleveland.com. Associated Press. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  9. ^ "The Mojo Honours List 2007". Mojo. Archived from the original on 2012-07-09. Retrieved 2008-12-08.